Exercise Prosperity

If you can believe it, I originally began writing this blog post in August, 2014! I decided to wait to publish it because I wanted to compare myself before and after I began working out continuously. Now, I feel more than ready to share my thoughts on the boundless importance of physical exercise! :)

I'm guessing many of you have heard the old saying, "It takes six weeks to get into shape, but only two weeks to get out of shape." If you haven't heard that information before, let me assure you that it's true. My amazing junior high gymnastics coach told our team those words when I was in the seventh grade and I've never forgotten them! I've exercised off and on throughout my entire life and this six week/two week rule has always proved correct. :)

In 2012, I began seriously working out to exercise videos with one of my Texas friends at our ward's (church) gym (a full-sized basketball court), three days per week, for six months straight. We missed a day once in a while, but it wasn't very often. I was in the best shape of my life since I'd been a gymnast!

After Greg and I found out we were moving from Texas, my official exercising times vanished. Sure, I was getting plenty of exercise because of packing our rental house and moving to Utah, but after we settled into our new/old house, I fell out of shape. Remember it takes only two weeks to get out of shape? Well, that's exactly what happened to me after our exhausting move. Don't get me wrong, I was still a very active mama, but I only officially exercised maybe once or twice per week and it wasn't consistent.

So, a year after our big move back to our beloved Utah, I was finally ready to rejoin the fit world and really commit myself to exercising consistently. Yet I absolutely did not let myself feel like a failure for becoming less-than-fit, I simply decided to change my lifestyle! :) I made an exercise plan and committed to it 100%!

I'm so happy to report that tomorrow begins my 48th week of exercising consistently! I'm humbled and excited to write that number. That information means I'm officially in shape! Yay me! (I'm not being prideful, just super happy!) By the way, as much as I would have really liked one, I didn't receive a certificate for working my hiney into good shape. Ha ha. Maybe I'll just have to create my own! ;)

Even though I have a gym membership that gives me unlimited use of their machines and weights, I'm not great about going there because I love exercise classes oodles more. Exercising with people totally motivates me.

(On a weird side note, last week, our local gym randomly moved locations to merge with another gym. This news was totally unexpected, so Greg and I will definitely be canceling our memberships and finding an alternative {like our basement!} because there's no way we're driving 15+ minutes just to get to the gym! I know that's a short commute for many people, but the gym used to be less than five minutes from our house—which is why we signed up for it in the first place.)

To get my hiney into shape, I chose to workout to varied exercise videos. I already owned the New York City Ballet Workout 1 & 2 DVDs; Pilates for Weight Loss DVD; and one yoga DVD, but I decided I needed a few more options. I have a bunch of additional exercise VHS videos, but our player broke in the move and we never bought another one.

When my sister-in-law asked what I wanted for Christmas (2013), I suggested Jillian Michaels' 30 Day Shred. I was thrilled to open 30 Day Shred on Christmas day because it's a great workout! A few months later, I purchased the entire P90X program (including the chin-up bar, minus the bands because I use my own weights), I was so excited! I got a fabulous deal and it has been worth e-v-e-r-y penny! (Sadly, the deal I got in 2014 isn't available anymore.) *I'll be writing about my P90X experience another day...I can't wait!

Because I've stayed true to my fitness goals over the past 10+ months, I can pretty much do any exercise or physical activity I desire—which feels amazing! I can't even begin to express the joy my heart feels when I decide to quickly run somewhere (while I'm running errands, or trying to escape the rain, or helping wrangle the neighbors' escaped dogs!) and do it without any huffing and puffing! I know my heart is stronger; my lungs have greater capacity (which also helps with singing in my ward's choir!); and my muscles have increased endurance! I just love that my body is so much more efficient than it used to be!

*Might I add, in regard to my physical shape, several people have said things to me like, "Oh, you're so lucky, you don't have to worry about your weight!" or, "I'm just not naturally skinny like you are." etc. While well-intentioned, those comments drive me crazy!

What those people don't realize is that even when I wasn't working out as consistently as I am now, I was still trying to stay active and watched what I ate. Even after I've been exercising consistently for all this time, I continue to watch what I eat. Yes, on occasion, I do eat whatever I want (like tonight's pizza and peanut M&M's) and it tastes awesome...until I get a stomach ache, then I totally regret that I ever overate!

Basically, I listen to my body. I try to eat healthily. I don't drink soda unless we're at a party or some special event. When I have treats one day, I limit them in the days to come. I eat when I'm hungry and stop when I'm full. I allow my body to get hungry, for I believe hunger is our bodies' natural way of communicating to us if we need food, or not! I think a lot people in the world have messed up their bodies by continuing to eat when they're not hungry, so their bodies are confused and they don't know when enough is enough. But enough about my food ideas. ;)

I simply wanted to clarify that I'm not just naturally skinny. And, hi! I wouldn't even define myself as skinny! I guess would define myself as not big. :) I treat my body as well as I possibly can, which includes exercising and eating healthily.

Sorry for my tangent, I just had to clarify those points...

My fit self was especially evident when I went to BYU Women's Conference April 30th–May 1st, 2015. As I walked all over campus, I couldn't help but reminisce about my experience in 2014. I couldn't believe the overwhelmingly positive difference in my 2015 body, compared to my 2014 body!

In 2014, I was tired at BYUWC. Walking all over campus for two days straight was very wearing on me and I nearly fell asleep in a couple of classes. Thus, I was beyond excited to realize that my 2015 body was literally ready to bound all over campus! Can I get a holla?! Every time I started walking to my next class, my body just wanted to get up and RUN! My body was unstoppable at BYU because of all my exercising and training during the previous 10 months.

By the by, my fluorescent yellow and white striped shirt is actually from the girls' section at Target!  I found it one day while shopping with my daughter, and I couldn't leave the store without it! :)

I'm guessing there are many people in my life who are tired of hearing me gush about how incredibly happy I am to be in good shape—and readers of my exercise blog posts are probably sick of my exclamation points and smiley faces—but I simply can't help it!! Being fit is such an amazing feeling that continually surprises me when I least expect it. I have great satisfaction in knowing my body is not only healthier, but my clothes fit better, too! Okay, I'm just going to say it, it feels awesome! :) Truly, looking good is one of the happiest side effects of exercising! The very best benefits of exercising are increased energy, strength and stamina!

All of that said, is my body perfectly sculpted like a fitness model? Oh, my goodness, no! I don't have "thigh gap,"never have, never will! My thick/loose stomach skin definitely shows that I've given birth three times, and my stomach muscles can occasionally be seen under my post-baby-10-years-ago skin (ha ha). Those things don't bother me in the slightest! And I would never exchange my three babies for a flat stomach—no way! I have cellulite throughout my body and I'm not ashamed to let it show. I'm not even looking to drop 10 pounds—although, if it happened, I wouldn't complain, either. :) My life's forever goal is to be healthy and fit!

I will continue following my church's Word of Wisdom, which, if followed, promises that I will run and not be weary, and walk and not faint! My simple desire is to be able to move my magnificent gift-of-a-body (for it was given to me by our Heavenly Father!) in all the ways I wish, and have the stamina needed to participate in any activity I want—for my entire life. The glorious thing is, I feel I have finally achieved my goals!

While I still haven't learned how to surf or snowboard (both are goals of mine!), my heart is so happy knowing I'm absolutely strong enough to accomplish my desires—were I given the opportunity! :)

In terms of my health and overall well-being, I feel extremely prosperous! And just like in the business world where nothing great is ever achieved by cheating, the only way our bodies will ever truly prosper is by being honest in all of our actions. There are no shortcuts in life that bring significant and lasting results—especially in exercising!

P.S. Another thing I love about being fit is that when I exercise or do other activities, I can see my skin (and fat) moving all at once because of my muscles! There's not some huge cellulite wave that continually ripples back and forth across my body—it's just a little one! It might seem silly to some, but seeing and feeling my individual muscles move with purpose is immensely gratifying!

P.P.S. Did I mention how much I love looking good and being healthy/fit for my husband? Well, providing those benefits for the love of my eternity is the greatest feeling!

Young Women Mother–Daughter Activity

"My" darling Mia Maid class was in charge of our ward's Young Women combined activity in May. This activity happened to fall on the Tuesday before Mother's Day. Thus, we decided to invite the wonderful mothers of our darling young women and center the entire night around them! :)

My Young Women President emailed me the basic activity idea from a blog post, and the Mia Maid class presidency and I briefly discussed a version we liked for our ward. *Full disclosure? I created/enhanced the majority of the activity because most of the Mia Maid class presidency was busy with homework and their involvement in extra curricular activities.

I'm sharing our fun activity here because the night was a great success. Yay! I thought maybe someone else would like to try it in their ward, too? *If you choose to do this fun activity and share it online, please link back to this blog post. My heart thanks you. :)

Young Women Mother–Daughter Activity

The first thing I did was email the mothers a list of questions so we could play the game "That's My Mom!" Here are the questions—a few were provided by a counselor in the Mia Maid class presidency and I came up with the rest:

1. What was your first job?
2. What's on the top of your bucket list?
3. Where were you married?
4. What's your favorite food or treat?
5. Where do you see yourself in five years?
6. What's your favorite Primary song?
7. Describe your perfect day:
8. Have you ever traveled outside of the USA? If yes, what was your favorite place? If no, where would your dream destination be?
9. Is your favorite way to dress: casual; professional; Sunday-best; athletic; or formal?
10. How old were you when you gained a testimony of the Gospel of Jesus Christ and the Church?
11. What is your least favorite household job to do?
12. If you were called to serve a mission in the future, where would you like to serve?
13. What/where is the farthest temple you've attended?
14. Where's your favorite place to read a book or take a nap?
15. What are you most passionate about?

The mothers emailed me their answers ahead of time. I printed off their answers, highlighted their names and put them in a folder.

I had the other members of our Young Women Presidency, and our longest-serving Mia Maid adviser, contact their/our class members (Laurels, Mia Maids and Beehives) before our activity. I wanted the girls to be prepared to tell what they love most about their mothers—in front of everyone at our activity.

Our refreshment/treat contributions were provided by our Mia Maid advisers, our YW Secretary, one of our Mia Maids (and her mom, of course!), and me (I brought the gluten free treats). It wasn't fancy, but everything was yummy! I'm so very grateful for their preparation and generosity...for sharing is caring! ;) Oh, the fake roses are mine and the other plants are our Mia Maid adviser's.

Here are the four Primary songs I chose for everyone to sing at the beginning of our activity:

• I Often Go Walking
• Mother Dear
• Mother, I Love You
• The Dearest Names

I printed the songs out at home and made a few pink copies at our church's library right before the activity. I didn't make too many copies because most people just use their technology devices, but I wanted some on-hand just in case.

Here is the program I created for the night. I printed it on pink paper (thus, the colors didn't show up) with four handouts per page to save paper. (By the way, I only included a © sign on the handouts shown here. I didn't print them out that way for the activity.)

Below is the game sign I created for our "That's My Mom!" game. I emailed it to Alphagraphics and had them print it on card stock. I couldn't believe the difference in quality from my YW President's color printer vs. Alphagraphics' card stock printer (is that even a name?!). Even though it was pricier to have them printed professionally, Alphagraphics' quality was a noticeable improvement over the home-color-printer version. It was totally worth every penny! :) (And no, Alphagraphics isn't paying me to say that. Ha ha.)

I bought these lovely, large fake hydrangeas and peony, tied them with ribbon, and used them for our mother–daughter photo shoot. The girls held their sign (see above) and their moms held the flowers.

Side note: I was going to hand these over to my ward's Young Women organization and get reimbursed for them, but my daughter loved them so much we decided to keep them and not be reimbursed. Now these pretties lay on the bookcase in our living room, beneath our family's most recent large group portrait. I absolutely love them! :)

We met 30 minutes before our activity began to set up chairs, our refreshment table and the game questions. I also quickly practiced our Primary piano songs, then everyone else arrived!

Our Mia Maid class president conducted the meeting. She had just sent her beloved older sister off to the MTC that very day, so I was impressed she attended and held it together enough to conduct! I was also impressed that her mother wasn't a puddle on the floor! (I'm only half-way joking...I can't imagine how much I will cry when my children leave on a mission!!)

Our singing portion of the night went well. I had one of our Mia Maids play two of the Primary songs (her choice) and I played the other two (the songs she wasn't comfortable playing). I especially loved having mothers and daughters singing those beloved Primary songs together, it made my heart happy! :)

It was so lovely hearing each young woman express her love and appreciation for her mother! They were all such thoughtful girls—a few of them made me tear-up a little! Oh, but there were a two young women (sisters) in particular who totally made the rest of us laugh out loud with their admiration of their super-mom...who birthed and continues to care for her eight children! Without going into detail, you can imagine what she puts up with! I can't believe there is a single soul who isn't in awe of this woman. As her daughters said, she is truly a saint. :)

My daughter made my heart smile to no end when she stood up in front of everyone and said, "What I love most about my mom is she is like the perkiest person I know! She's always trying to make me smile and be happy, and I just love her so much!" Yes, I will remember that happy moment forever! :)

For our "That's My Mom!" game, I asked one of our Laurel advisers, one of our Mia Maid advisers, and our YW secretary help out. They each took turns reading one of the mom's answers at a time. After each question was read, the young women raised their card if they thought the answer belonged to their mom. I told the girls to keep track of the answers they got right, and score one point for each answer.

The leaders rotated through each mother's questionnaire over and over until every mom was covered at least four or five times. FYI, 16 mothers participated. Toward the end of our game, I could tell some of the young women were losing interest, so I ended it with the next round of question reading. I think we played the game for about 25–30 minutes.

The highest scores the girls received were five points, the average being three or four points. I told our young women that the prize they won is a great big hug from their mother! Ha ha. I know, I'm so tricky...and possibly mean??! ;) But I just didn't think we needed to have an actual winner for the night because the girls' greatest treasure of the evening should have been their mothers! :)

Then we opened up the evening for the enjoying of refreshments, chatting and our photo booth! I also suggested that the daughters take home their mom's questionnaire—to get to know them even better. I'm happy there were only a couple questionnaires that weren't taken home. That means most daughters wanted to continue connecting with their mothers! Mission accomplished!! :) Or, it means the young women already know their mothers so well they don't need to read the questionnaire!

Our Mia Maid adviser—and resident photographer—took photos of the mothers and daughters who wanted to participate. Every mother–daughter photo was so so cute! :) We used our Relief Society room's curtains as the backdrop and they worked perfectly! (I still need to print off those photos for everyone—May has been a busy month! Also, I thought about sharing a photo of my daughter and me, but I'm still a nut about my children's online privacy, so I refrained. That said, if you follow my private Instagram account I posted our photo the day after our YW activity.)

Clean-up was a breeze because a few lovely young women and leaders stayed and helped! Later that night, as I reflected on our mother–daughter activity, I was just a bundle of smiles! I was greatly relieved everyone participated and seemed to have a good time...well, I just assumed everyone had as much fun as I did! Ha ha.

Hey, I strongly believe that it's your own fault if you don't have a good time in life! After all, our attitudes belong to each of us, individually! No other person has any control over what we choose to think and feel! :)

The best news is, I received quite a bit of positive feedback from parents expressing their appreciation and happiness for our mother–daughter activity. I'm so grateful I helped facilitate a positive bonding experience between mothers and their teenage daughters!

New Smartphone Selfie! :)

This is my I'm-so-happy-I-finally-got-a-new-cell-phone face!! ☆

#happyface #sohappy #newcellphone #SamsungGalaxyNoteII #threeandahalfyears #brightgreen #adenfilter

Piano Practice Perks!

One of the many ways I know my family is finally settled is the fact that I'm teaching piano lessons again! In 2010, before we moved to Texas, I taught piano to three students. About a year-and-a-half into our Texas adventure, I was blessed to teach piano to four darling and wonderful students. Despite my family's unending wondering about where we were going to finally land for good, teaching piano in Texas was definitely a highlight for me.

When we moved home in 2013 (Wahoo!), I truly didn't expect to teach piano lessons again. You see, my former students had moved on to new teachers and I knew I wouldn't ever get them back. Plus, I don't advertise that I teach piano. Simply put, I have a hard time putting myself out there—especially when I have to charge people money for my services. Sadly, I'm not that charitable to give away my knowledge and time for free: simply put, my family needs the money! Yet, I always knew that if someone asked me about teaching piano lessons, I wouldn't say no. :)

Thus, I was surprised and thrilled when I unexpectedly received my first inquiry about teaching piano again. I've been teaching three students for a couple of months now and I love it! (I really hope they are happy with me, too.) What's fascinating is the fact that I've gained three more students in just the past several days! Well, one of them won't be starting until the fall, but it still counts. :) I also have another possible student that might be coming into my piano mix, but that won't be settled for a little while.

Because of these wonderful piano lessons I'm blessed to provide, I had our piano tuned (last Friday) for the first time ever! Yes, you read that right, EVER. My darling grandpa gave me his piano in 2003 after my adorable grandma passed away (2001), but we never had the money to tune it. Okay, I'm 100% positive Greg and I could have scrounged up the money from somewhere to tune it, but we chose to spend our money elsewhere, i.e., raising our children well. :) Then we moved all over the country multiple times so I didn't want to tune my piano until we had finally settled somewhere (pianos go out of tune when they are moved). Thankfully, I now feel totally established in our lives—we've been here nearly two years(!), and I truly don't believe we're going anywhere until our children are grown and established in their own lives.

On that note...it's such a good feeling to finally be settled! It's such a happy feeling: hanging pictures on your walls! And when you wake up in the shadow of majestic mountains, you know it's gonna be a snaptastic day! *Imagine the Mister Roger's song when you read those previous sentences! I know my words aren't remotely close to working like Mr. Roger's song does, but you get the gist of my happiness. :)

Long story short, when I began teaching piano again, I knew it was time to tune my piano. I found a wonderful piano tuner: Paul Gates of Gates Piano Service. *By the way, Mr. Gates did not ask me to write a review for him, and I did not receive any sort of discount for writing about him. In fact, I hope he's okay with me writing about him!?! Although I've never seen or heard a piano tuned before, I could instantly tell he totally knows what he's doing. I have a pretty good ear for pitch, so I was beyond delighted to hear Mr. Gates fixing my old piano!

I cleaned up my kitchen while our piano man tuned, so I had a lot of time to listen to his work. I couldn't help but think of the song "Getting In Tune," by The Who. I've always loved "Getting In Tune," as it simply makes me happy! Here it is for your listening pleasure!

As I heard my tired, old, chipped piano being restored to its proper and lovely sound, I was struck by the idea that each of us are like pianos!

Some of us are in perfectly beautiful shape with phenomenal pitch and amazing sound, while others of us are scratched, dented, have sticky keys, and are completely out of tune. It takes a master piano tuner (i.e., our Heavenly Father {God}) to properly tune us into the magnificent beings we are meant to be. He forces us to open our souls. He pounds on our keys. He twists our strings to the point that we wonder if we might snap! When He finds one of our non-performing sticky keys (a.k.a, cranky keys), He uses the correct tool and lubrication with the perfect amount of pressure to make our keys operate smoothly and happily again.

His repetitive note pounding, endlessly patient listening and precise string twisting, ultimately helps us return to our true notes! All of this happens because we allow Him into our lives—trusting that He knows what is best. We simply have to be pliable to His efforts on our behalf.

Even after we've allowed Him to restore our former splendor, that's not the end for us. Just like pianos need continuous tuning throughout their careers, we also need to check-in with our Heavenly Father on a constant basis. The longer we allow ourselves to be closed to the tuning and training that our Father in Heaven can offer, the harder it will be for us to stay in-tune with Him. Of course, this all happens because of our Savior...He is our link to heaven!

I know that was a bit sappy, but it's truly how I feel about pianos and us being spiritually in-tune! :)

After my piano was refreshed and feeling oh-so-chipper, I couldn't wait to start playing it! Don't laugh, but I messed up my songs because I was astonished by the glorious sound coming out of my old piano! My piano daze only lasted a day, or so, and now I've adjusted to the perfect notes I'm hearing!

In case anyone is wondering, I've been using the Alfred Method to teach my students. I feel it's worked well and, so far, I haven't had any complaints! :) That said, I absolutely remember my main piano teacher and all of her wisdom. I bring much of her knowledge to my lessons as well.

By the by, I had three piano teachers during my youth, but my second teacher was the one I spent the longest time with—she made the biggest impact on my piano learning/playing experience. She might wonder if anything she said/did/taught mattered to me because I was kind of a brat-student! I didn't mean to be bratty, I simply detested practicing and didn't like her critiquing my efforts. Hi! I also really didn't like anyone telling me what to do! Surprise, surprise. ;)

Years later, I finally and fully understood just how valuable my piano teacher's words, actions and criticisms were! :) So even though she might think I'm not the best piano teacher (my mom told her I was teaching), I feel I am a good teacher because of her efforts. I also feel I'm a better teacher simply because I know all the tricks students might pull! Ha ha. Yes, I'm very attuned to the student who thinks they can fake-out their piano teacher (I won't let them) because back in my day, I was one of them!

I've also included a little program to entice my students to want to practice the way I've assigned. I call them "Piano Practice Perks!" Basically, if a student practices every day I've assigned for the week, and they get their parent's signature attesting to that fact, they get to write their name on the back of a Piano Practice Perk and save it. After they've received four PPPs, they can exchange them for a treat of their choice! For some students who have treats all the time, my method might not be the best motivator. And for some students who simply love playing the piano, my PPPs probably won't make a difference to them. But for those students who struggle with the desire to practice, and they like treats, my Piano Practice Perks come in mighty handy! :)

I print these off using the wallet-sized category of my printer. That way I save paper and printing costs, and they're small enough that my younger students view them like pretend money!

Here are my cut-up PPPs in my cute little star dish. :)

What I've said multiple times is that anyone can play any song they like, as long as they've learned the fundamentals of piano and practice practice practice! Truly, after learning everything about the piano, practicing is what makes a pianist great, mediocre or terrible. That said, I know some people have a natural talent for music while others truly struggle. For those who struggle, but don't want to quit piano to find their true talent (maybe they want to keep their mind young and active), I say this: as long as you're diligently practicing and giving it your very best effort, you can be proud of your piano performances—whether given in your home, or out in public.

I've been playing the piano off and on since I was in the second or third grade—whoa, I won't tell you how many years it's been! There's no doubt I made the greatest strides in my piano accomplishments when I practiced consistently. There is truly no substitute for dedicated piano practice!

It's super interesting to me that all of my piano practicing years have now paid off for my little family—in more ways than filling our home with beautiful music, for we can definitely use this little bump in our monthly income! Talk about Piano Practice Perks! Ha ha. And, as Greg and I have talked about, as long as my teaching doesn't interfere with our family life (i.e., I gain too many students—which I won't), I can see me teaching piano far into the future. :) Side note: I would be so pleased if my blog were able to provide my family's needed extra income, but it sadly hasn't happened. :( Thus, I've chosen to spend more time teaching than blogging.

The other big plus for me teaching piano again is that I love teaching children! They are so pure, so sweet, and most of them listen well and are so eager to learn and grow. It is truly a privilege to be involved in developing their piano skills and influencing their precious souls. It might sound silly, but I honestly feel like I'm a piano life coach! Ha ha. In all seriousness, there is such joy to be found in playing the piano—it's one of my favorite activities! I'm so blessed I get to bring musical knowledge and joy to children!

Thank Your Mom!

I absolutely love this darling (and huge!) card I bought for my sweet mama for Mother's Day.

Thank you, Mom, for everything you are! I love you so very much! :)

*Being a mother to my three wonderful children has brought me more fulfillment and JOY than anything else in this world! My children are my life's greatest work! I deeply thank my amazing husband (the love of my life!) for giving me the opportunity to live my motherhood dream every day!

#amotherslove #happymothersday #motherhood

Supergirl Selfie

Because sometimes you need to wear a Superman shirt!

#supergirl! #iwishicouldfly #happywednesday #iloveP90X #P90X #nofilter

BYU Women's Conference

Wow, I had the BEST time at BYU Women's Conference! I will absolutely remember the talks I heard...I'll also remember because I took endless pages of notes! Ha ha. Yes, my spiritual bucket was most definitely filled! :)

Their flowers are so beautiful!

What "Be Prepared" Means to Me

Please note that I actually wrote this blog post yesterday (Wednesday, April 15th), but I didn't have time to publish it because I was creating my typographic designs to go with it. :)

This morning began like every other morning: wake up at 7:00; wake up my uber-tired junior-high-aged children; take my thyroid pill with a huge glass of water; change into my favorite yellow and grey comfy-cozies; make my children's gluten-free lunches; drive my beautiful daughter and handsome son to school; breathe deeply as I drive home (I strongly dislike others' lame driving skills!); wake up my youngest sleeping child and tell him the weather report—so he can choose what to wear; eat a breakfast of champions (Frosted Mini-Wheats...my absolute favorite!); sit by my adorable baby boy on the couch for a few minutes while he watches NetFlix; check Instagram while my darling boy brushes his teeth; tell my sweet son it's time to leave for school; ask my Gregor if he's coming with us; drive to school; drive home, go inside, wish I could go back to sleep; put in my contacts; do my oral-cleansing routine; make Greg's and my bed look puffy and peaceful; call my sweet mama and talk on the phone with while I do dishes; hang up the phone; remove the yummy clothes from the dryer (Clean laundry is one of my most favorite smells ever!); switch the wet laundry from the washer to the dryer; watch a few minutes of a fascinating "House" episode (I absolutely l.o.v.e. that show! I would be completely thrilled to meet Hugh Laurie one day. I also love the fact that Mr. Laurie is still married to his original/first/only wife—and they have three children!)...

That's when things became not like every other morning: our home phone rang.

As I walked over to answer the phone, I thought about how I was surprised the phone rang because we don't usually get many phone calls during the day, and I had already talked with my mom. It was Greg's dad calling, so I gave the phone to Greg (he worked from home today). Greg and his dad don't talk on the phone too often, but they have a great relationship so I wasn't surprised he called.

Sadly, it wasn't the kind of phone conversation anyone wants to receive. Greg's dad said his (Greg's) Aunt Carol died suddenly from a heart attack this morning around 7:00. Even as I write that, I can't believe it's really true. Aunt Carol was the baby sister of Greg's amazing mom. Both of these wonderful, sweet, kind, funny and feisty women died entirely too soon. None of our family members were ready to see them go! I wish we would have been able to keep Anne and Carol until they were in their nineties! Sadly, I don't always get what I wish...

I found it highly interesting that just last week, I had a dream about Greg's darling mom. In my dream, Greg and I walked into a room filled with his immediate and (a few) extended family members. Some of them were casually sitting on a queen-sized white bed, and some of them were standing around. Everyone was casually chatting in smallish groups, but also together as a whole group. I looked directly at Anne and very surprisingly said, "Oh my goodness, HI!!! Can everybody see you?! Or, is it just me?!"—you know, because Anne is no longer with us. Anne smiled with her familiar twinkle and cheerfully said, "Yes, they can all see me too!"

In my dream, I realized what a special treat it was for us to be able to see Anne and spend time with her again. After Anne's and my initial conversation, everybody settled in, happily talking with each other. It was so awesome to just be in Anne's presence. Her entertaining personality was—as always—larger than life! Anne was just so delightful and fun to be with. In my dream we all joyfully conversed for a long time, but then I woke up. :(

Even though I was sad I saw Anne only in a dream, I felt so peaceful and happy! I knew this wasn't an ordinary dream. I knew it was a dream of comfort not only for me, but it was also meant for Greg and his family. The only problem was, I felt a little silly sharing my dream with his entire family because I wasn't sure what they would think. So, I only shared it with Greg and his sister when she "randomly" called me last Friday to chat for a few minutes. Remember though, there are no coincidences!

So this morning as I thought back to the happy dream I had less than a week ago, I realized that my Anne dream was helping prepare me for a sad today. Even though we are heartbroken to have to say goodbye to our lovely Aunt Carol—who also happens to remind us of Greg's splendid mother, Anne, we absolutely know that both of their spirits live on!

The only two positives I can think about today's news are: 1) Aunt Carol has been reunited with her beautiful sister, whom she dearly missed; and 2) Anne and Carol are with our Heavenly Father, and our Savior, Jesus Christ—and the rest of humankind who have departed this earthly life. Here is one of my favorite scriptures that mirrors my thoughts—it gives me little tears every time I read it!

"...[T]he spirits of all men [and women], as soon as they are departed from this mortal body...whether they be good or evil, are taken home to that God who gave them life." – Alma 40:11

No, dear readers, my happy Anne dream was not meant just for me. It was a beautiful reminder that even though our lives are relatively short in the grand scheme of things, we are not left here all alone. Let me repeat: we are most definitely not alone in our lives! No matter our circumstances, we have sweet, heavenly angels watching over each one of us, reaching out to us when we need them!

After thinking about this morning's life-changing events, I called my mom again. We chatted for a few minutes before she needed to attend to my nephew. I hung up and had a good cry about Aunt Carol. When I finished crying, I called my dad. We had a nice conversation that went on for quite a while. I made sure both my parents know how much I love them, and how grateful I am that they are still living healthily and doing so well. Life is such a gift! :)

Throughout today I've had recurring thoughts about being prepared. I've decided to expound on what "Be Prepared" means to me.

Being prepared usually implies we should have many physical objects that will enable us to continue living in the event of an emergency or a catastrophe. We talk of food storage, water, flashlights, soap, gas, generators, 72-hour kits, bedding, first-aid kits, clothing, shoes, medication, oral care, visual aids (i.e., contacts and glasses—not technology, ha ha.), sunscreen, health/life/homeowners/renters/auto insurance, etc. If we're talking about outdoor adventures, the be prepared list grows significantly.

I fully agree it's important to work on gaining emergency supplies for the benefit of our families and friends, but I see the most vital element in being prepared in terms of relationships, for they—and our memories and knowledge—are truly the only things we take with us when we depart this earthy life.

Yes, even though we don't know when the moment will come, we must daily prepare to meet our maker. Every one of us must carefully evaluate right now to see if we are doing what it takes to have confidence when meeting God, our Heavenly Father, and His Son, Jesus Christ. We'll never know exactly when we'll be chosen to go to the other side, but just like so many of our family members, friends and acquaintances have done in the past, it will happen eventually. I can think of nothing more wonderful and worrisome than meeting our Heavenly Father, and Savior, so I hope we're ready for that amazing moment!

I think one of the most important ways to be prepared is by having a clear conscience in regard to our family relationships. We must never let a day go by without saying, "I love you!" to each other. We don't need to throw out a continuous barrage of "I love you...I love you...I love you!" all day long (reminiscent of Don Lockwood fake professing his love to Lina Lamont in Singin' in the Rain—one of my favorite movies ever!), for that would become tedious and the recipient might doubt our sincerity! Yet it is very possible through our actions, words, and deeds, to show our dear family members every day just how much they mean to us...how special they are to us!

Of course I understand that not every family relationship is a perfectly beautiful walk around Secret Lake, but it is possible and essential to never let our family members wonder of our love for them. :)

I loved finding these cute flowers to represent the "He/she loves me; she/he loves me not" idea. :)

Similarly, if we have family relationships that aren't so rosy, it's vital for us to find a way to put the past behind us, make amends, and move on. Forgiveness is a must in every family relationship! I know sometimes it might be hard to want to forgive our family members, yet that's when we need to pray for help—like we are going to meet our maker tomorrow. We must pray to have the desire to forgive those who have hurt us. I'm not implying we should ever allow ourselves to be put in harm's way, but I am saying we need to completely forgive, while simultaneously staying safe.

Once we have made every family relationship right, it's time to work on our other friendships or acquaintance relationships. When the time comes and we find ourselves in heaven, we should be ready to meet anyone we know—without a cloud of disappointment or regret overshadowing our reunions.

When those heavenly meet and greets come for me, I dearly want to have a crystal clear conscience. I know I won't ever be perfect here in this earth life, but I never want to bump into someone in heaven whom I haven't forgiven here on Earth. Obviously it's up to them if they choose to forgive me, but I'll at least try to ask for their forgiveness. That said, I know I have some work to do...it might take me a while to get there, but please know that I'll be actively working on my forgiveness skillz! :)

I'm filled with gratitude in the fact that my relationships with my departed family members were in excellent standing before their dear souls were taken home to heaven. Even though I miss them terribly, I have such peace knowing we're all good!

Even though I try really hard to consciously live my life in the moment, every moment, days like today help me re-internalize just how temporary and priceless our lives are! We'll never know how much time we have to enjoy with those most important souls we adore. I hope each and every one of us makes the very best use of each invaluable moment we are given!

P.S. Off to P90X I go—it's KenpoX day! *Because of our sweet Aunt Carol's sudden tragedy, I've decided I will never, ever, stop exercising until the day I die. Of course I won't exercise completely continuously—for that would be unhealthy for me to never rest, but I will definitely exercise enough that my body remains as healthy and strong for as long as possible! P90X Foreva'! Ha ha.

Hello, Your Dustiness!

One of my regular household jobs I had as a little girl was dusting. Even though I was given either a dust cloth or a feather duster to get the job done, I dreaded dusting on Saturdays. I detested both dust catchers because I found them both incredibly, well, dusty!

Even now, I can vividly remember moving all of my family's trinkets and picture frames off our many shelves, tabletops, piano lids, speakers, etc., trying my best to encapsulate the dusty dust. Yet no matter how hard I tried, there was inevitably swarming dust where I had just cleaned. To me, Saturdays were a never-ending, sneezefest! Eww, gross!!

Thus, as a happily married woman, I determined I would never use a dust-spreading feather duster or dust cloth. Instead, I used a hand-held vacuum attachment with soft bristles on the end (do you know what I mean?) to rid our residence of dust mites and skin cells. :)

My vacuum version of dusting worked very well until 2013, for that's when my handsome husband began working from home. It became apparent that I couldn't just vacuum whenever I saw or felt the need. I had to ask my eternally-on-a-conference-call husband, "Do you have a conference call starting soon, or can I vacuum?"

Greg tried his best to accommodate me, but I finally realized that my vacuuming-at-my-leisure days were toast! Thus, when I actually found a moment to vacuum during Greg's rare non-conference-call work time, I used my noisy time wisely and vacuumed our floors. The only problem was, during Greg's quiet work time, I rarely got to the dusting (vacuum style), so it was put on the back burner until I could find time to do it...which usually took months to get around to.

Yes, our house became quite the dust hatchery. I was always slightly embarrassed when people came over and saw our layer of skin cells everywhere! Eww, that sounds so disgusting! Thankfully, it wasn't all that bad if I turned off the lights! Ha ha. Who knows, maybe no one ever saw our dustiness? Oh, who am I kidding?! Of course they saw it! :)

Anyway, a few weeks ago I decided I had had it(!) with our dusty palace. I thought, "There has to be a better answer! I've got to get rid of this dust in a quieter way, but I refuse to use a dust-enhancing feather duster or dust cloth!"

I suddenly remembered when we lived in Colorado that I went through a Swiffer Hand Duster phase—their ad campaigns were pretty convincing! But I also remember feeling less-than-satisfied at their results because I couldn't apply enough pressure with their floppy duster, and the dust seemed to linger—even though there was much less dust than before. That said, I felt desperate to clean our dusty palace, so I decided to see if there were any new quiet dusters on the market.

As I walked down Walmart's cleaning aisle, I happened upon the dust-cleaning section. I read all the boxes carefully to help me choose. I suddenly realized there was a store version of disposable floor dusters that could work as hand dusters too! Yippee! Feeling optimistic, I bought a large box! *Please don't think me a fool for not discovering this dusting tip earlier, for I was perfectly happy with my vacuum-dusting! :) (And yes, I shop at Walmart because there are certain gluten-free brands only Walmart carries for the price we can afford—it's one of the four stores I frequent.)

I was a bit skeptical at first, but when I tried hand dusting the first time with the disposable floor duster cloth, I was amazed at its effectiveness! Not only did it remove the dusty-dust, it held it under lock and key! I was thrilled to internalize that the dusty memories of my youth would no longer haunt me! Yes, I would finally be free of PTDD, i.e., post traumatic dust disorder! Ha ha. I also realized I didn't need a large dust cloth for my chores, so I spent quite a bit of time cutting each cloth into fourths—which makes them last even longer! Yay for inexpensive cleaning!

Don't laugh, but I literally danced from room to room (squealing now and then), dusting every dusty item in sight! Okay, I didn't get to everything because I ran out of time, but I've been dusting regularly and quietly catching up for the months of dusting I missed out on.

It's practically nonsensical, the tremendous joy those little disposable dusters have brought me! My heart is so light knowing I can dust any old time I desire without interrupting Greg's conference calls, and the dust won't fluff all over my house! Gone are my sneezing days of yore, and the PTDD that accompanied my dust-shifting attempts! (You know, because back-in-the-day, I really only moved the dust around from one shelf to another!)

I definitely classify this happy little box under "Momsanity"! :)

So, thank you, Walmart (I can't believe I just wrote that!), for your lovely, sane-inducing disposable dry sweeping refills (I had to include the proper name)! You have cured this previously traumatized dust queen of her PTDD! I truly and highly recommend these happy cloths to anyone wishing to have a dust-free palace of their own!

P.S. I'm not being compensated in any way for my write-up of these happy little disposable dust cloths. Yes I have Google Ad Sense on my blog, but again, I've only "made" $1.54 for my blogging efforts! (It only shows up in my Ad Sense accounts—I haven't actually been paid yet.) I just had to clarify that for my own satisfaction so you wouldn't think this was some kind of advertisement. Thanks for reading! :)

P.P.S. I categorized this post under "decluttering" because these dust cloths have most definitely helped me declutter the dust in my home! :)

My Heart is With You!

Another reason I've been a little quieter here on my blog over the past few weeks is because I've been thinking, praying and grieving for some people in my life who are suffering.

Over the past several weeks, I've received news of two of my dear extended family members who are dealing with life-threatening cancers. Unfortunately, these are not simple cancers that will simply and completely disappear with the prescribed treatments. Don't get me wrong, the excellent care my extended family members are receiving will extend their lives for a time, but the cancers they are battling mightily will eventually win. Until that happens, they are dealing with the dreaded unknowns that specialists can't predict, or cure. Even though I know none of us are getting off this earth alive, this news breaks my heart to a point that I can't describe. I hate losing people I love!

I have another extended family member who is in active duty in the military. This wonderful soul is most assuredly in harms way, and I am deeply concerned for his safety and well-being. I can't fathom the worry his close family members are suppressing on a daily basis, either!

One of my good friends recently shared with the people in her life that she is suddenly dealing with a life-altering long-term illness. Tears have filled my eyes multiple times as I've read blog posts about what this chronic illness is doing to her. Unless she receives a medical miracle (And believe me, I'm praying daily and fasting {on Fast Sundays} for one!), her life is changed forever. Forever. Thankfully, she is a very strong woman. I have no doubt she will endure this trial well, but I dearly wish I could wave my magic wand and banish her suffering! :)

I can't even count the other great people I care about who've been dealing with death of loved ones, divorce, unemployment, infertility, significant financial woes, emotional instability, physical limitations, etc., for a long time. Even though the initially-mentioned bad news is in the forefront of my mind—because it's new and shocking—that doesn't diminish my thoughts and prayers for my other extended family members' and friends' previous setbacks, struggles and losses. That said, I've noticed when news of a loss isn't so fresh—and our loved ones are dealing with their new normal on a daily basis—our thoughts and actions tend to revert back to whatever our normal is because it's virtually impossible to continually live with our minds in those sorrowful moments. Nor would our loved ones want us to go to those dark places.

Yet as I think about those beloved souls, I have faith. I firmly believe they are being watched over, blessed and protected! I know their lives matter greatly to our Heavenly Father, He sends angels to look after His suffering children! I know each of them are living their lives to the best of their abilities, and our Savior's Atonement literally makes up the difference—that fact always gives me great hope.

Just last week, I was shown again that the miracle of Greg and I moving back to our beloved Utah was not small. As I've reflected over the past seven years, I have zero doubts we were meant to move from Colorado to Utah in 2008; we were meant to move from Utah to Texas in 2010; and we were absolutely supposed to move from Texas to Utah in 2013. Even though I didn't see it at the time, I now see with 20/20 vision that the Lord was always very aware of our situation—to the point that every bit of our lives mattered to Him! It still blows my mind when I really go back and think about everything that happened from 2008 to 2013, and the revelations and confirmations we've received since June, 2013. There are no coincidences in our lives! There simply aren't enough explanations or justifications to explain away Greg's and my miracles! :)

Thus, I can't reiterate enough to this crazy internet world that every day we live matters! Every choice we make is crucial to our personal development and eternal futures! We must be constantly prayerful to know what our Father in Heaven (God) wants from us, for only He knows everything about our divine potential and true greatness!

Yes, to my dear family members and friends who are suffering, my heart is with you! Even though I can't fully understand what you're enduring, my thoughts, prayers, and fasting efforts are completely directed toward you! :)

I don't know if this thought helps you at all, but if you ever find yourself in the deepest, darkest, saddest corner of your misery, please imagine me smiling at you—trying my best to relieve your suffering...and possibly annoying you in the process?! It's true, I've been known to annoy others with my extreme optimism! Ha ha.

As much as I sincerely wish I could change everything to be sunshine and hyacinths for everyone (Those lovely little flowers smell sooo heavenly!), I know from personal experience that we attain so much more from faithfully enduring our soul-wearying experiences than we ever could just by hanging out in Everything is Awesome Land!

Thus, in the meantime of waiting, wondering, praying and trying our best, I hope we'll follow the advice of this marvelous quote from March's Visiting Teaching message (from The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints) about patience,

"As we choose to align our will with His during our earthly life, He 'will make an instrument of [us] in [His] hands unto the salvation of many souls' (Alma 17:11)." – President Dieter F. Uchtdorf, "The Attributes of Jesus Christ: Long-Suffering and Patient," Ensign, March, 2015.

Yes, we need to keep our faith and fight the good fight! We must never give up, never surrender! :)